When Baby's fall From the Sky
by Marty21
Summary: Legolas meets for the first time a baby Estel, and turns a night of babysitting into a great adventure
1. Human and Elfling

So, after like a five million year break, I decided to try and get down a new story (even though I am aware I have another unfinished floating around somewhere). In this one, Legolas would be about 16, Sildulin about 26, and Kaimelar and the twins about 29-30. Hope that is a good reference point for that. There's background info in some of the earlier stories. Hope you enjoy it, please review, it would be helpful (especially if you can do it politely.)

Disclaimer: Do not own characters, or LOTR and the such.

For nearly the millionith time that day, Leogolas glanced over at his sister riding on her horse, ignoring his concerned looks. She knew what he was thinking, knew why he was concerned, enjoying the moments of toying with him. Let him for once, she thought, be worried over another's well fortune as they often worried for his. She sneaked a peek over at her brother, who was still gazing at Sildulin. No longer able to take it, she raised an eyebrow, begging him to lift the weight from his shoulders and burden her with his reason fro agitation.

"Are you sure it's safe for you to be riding a horse?" Legolas blurted out. Thankful that he could finally just ask it. Not often questioning his sister's judgment, he was anxious about questioning her.

"Now, why wouldn't it be safe, baby brother/" she smiled over at him, as his face turned into one of horrified shock. When thinking on it, she decided it resemebled her father's when Legolas would share the exploiits of some adventure he had partaken in.

"Must I tell you? You're pregnant! I can't believe ada would let you come." He muttered the last half of his comment to himself, causing Sildulin to laugh a bit, being scolded by the youngest of their family. Though, he would know a thing or to about scoldings, after all those he had recieved in life. She, being nearly twice as old, had recieved half as many.

"Don't start nagging, it's fine. I wouldn't have left if it wasn't, you know that. Besides, if ada was to forbid anyone from coming, odds would have been on you, considering the little incident not too long ago, I didn't think you'd ever be let outside." Legolas' face turned a beet red, embarressed over his own misfortune. He may have been guilty for a great many deeds, but what had happened two months ago, he had no invovlement with. Nonetheless, he was the one blamed. It was suspiciously like something he would have thought up, but not this time. Everyone in the kingdom must have heard his father's booming voice as he condemned his young one of permenant confinement to the castle walls unless he learned to behave a bit more respectfully. Apparantlly, after a good two weeks of sulking around, his father took pity and freed Legolas from his punishment.

"It wasn't me." Was all he said.

"I know it wasn't." Legolas looked over at her with a questioning look, did she really trust him, and if she did why hadn't she stuck up for him back when it happened. Sildulin smirked, figuring now was as a good a time as any to let her brother in on her little secret. "I am the guilty one, little brother."

It looked as though his jaw might become unhinged, Sildulin observed, for never had she seen his mouth opened so wide. "You? It was you all along? If you weren't pregnant I'd be tempted to do...well, I don't know, something!" He loved his sister far too much to ever lay a hand on her, with or without child, but nonetheless he was more then a little upset by this revelation. "Why did you let me get punished? It was awful! I couldn't go outside, I thought I was going to mad! And ada, well, if he knew it was you, he never would have been half as upset by the whole thing. It would have been funny!"

"It wasn't technically me." Sildulin said.

"Well, now I am lost, not technically you? Then technically who?" He asked.

"It was Tulcah." She admitted after a bit.

"I'm going to kill him!: Legolas exclaimed. Though he loved Tulcah like a brother, and well, considering he had really become a part of the family after marrying Sildulin, none of that protected him from Legolas' wrath. Especailly since, he had, on more than one occasion, come to see Legolas, cooped up in his room, and tease him.

"Oh, don't say such things. You wouldn't want the baby to be without a father."

"Well, no, but it's just not fair!" Legolas shouted, sounding like a little elfling. "Why didn't you tell ada!"

"You know how nervous Tulcah is about adar not liking him..."

"That's cause he doesn't, especially after you married him. Who would have predicted that?" Legolas interupted.

"Anyway, he didn't want adar to have any more reason to dislike him. So, I advised him just not to say anything and the whole thing would be blown over as some accident, who would have predicted ada would blame it on one of your schemes?" Sildulin sighed at the sight of her brother's still indignant face. "You're free now, little one. And now you've learned not to prank anymore. If you hadn't so much in the past, no one would have suspected you now." It had been such a long while since Legolas had last spoken to his sister, that he forget how motherly she could sound st times. Considering, she was the only maternal figure he had since his mother's premature departure, it only made sense. The little baby was certainly going to be lucky. He, or she, was going to have two amazing parents.

"Fine, I won't kill him, but I will certainly have my revenge of him." The two fell into a silence. Legolas looked around, taking in the foilage surrounding them. That was his favorite part of these voyages. Watching as things would slowly change, nearly inpreceptably in some cases, until you were, suddenly, someplace else. It was the final someplace he was excited about. Due to an addition to Lord Elrond's family, he and Sildulin were being sent to give Mirkwood's royal family's congratulations in person. It was a task they were much obliged to take.

"What do you think the human looks like?" Legolas asked. He had seen humans now and again, some had visited his father's kingdom not too long ago. But he had certainly never seen a little human.

"I suppose he looks like an elfling, but without pointed ears. And mind you, don't call him "human," it's rude."

"Why is it rude? That's what he is." Legolas stated simply, truly unaware how it could possibly be rude to call something as it was. It was not as if he didn't call a tree a tree, or a rock a rock. Besides, his father always called them humans, and he usually prefaced it with the term dirty.

"He has a name and I know you know it. He is Lord Elrond's child and..." she cut herself off. When Elrond had told her father of the young boy's heritage, Thranduil had,in confidence, confided in her. Such information, he warned her, would be of great advantage to possible foes, and so the boy and his secret must be vigilantly protected. They were lucky he had fallen into the hands of Lord Elrond.

"I know he's got a name! It still doesn't naswer my question."

"It is simply more respectful to use a creature's name than some vague indentifier. How would you like Estel to call you elf?"

"Ada and you guys called me elfling when I was little." Legolas pointed out, not quite able to let it go.

"We said it as an endearing term, I could begin to call you elfling again if you desire." She heard her brother snort, knowing full well that would get him to drop it. Though it was an undeniable fact that now Legolas had truly grown into maturity, no longer the little elfling child he was, he was extremely sensitive about his age. In his family's eyes he was always to be little greenleaf. It would be nice once that baby of Sildulin's was born, he thought, then finally there would be something younger than him to be gushed over and teased.

"I just want to be there already, it's been such a long time since I've seen everyone. Hey, and maybe if we're lucky, Gandalf will be there. It's not often elves take in a human baby." Legolas paused for a second, and furrowed his brow in thought. Sildulin gave a bemused smile and her brother's new found perplexion.

"Something bothering you, Las?"

"Actually, yes. I just didn't know if it was okay I called him a human baby. Should I call it an Estel baby?" Sildulin thought on who the child was, and what his name meant then answered. "Perhaps you should."

This was obviously not the answer Legolas was looking for, viewing it more at her poking fun at his lack of decorum in this type of situation. "Just know for certain Legolas, don't call the baby an it, it's one step below calling it human."

"Maybe I should just stay away from_ Estel, _all together cause obviously I just don't know anything."

"Quit being such an elfling, enjoy yourself. I can't imagine you'll be any worse than the twins." Legolas smiled once more, his spirits lifted. Very soon he would be in Rivendell able to catch up and have fun with his two favorite people, and Arwen too of course, when she wasn't drooling over the baby. It was nice to finally be free of punishment and able to relax without the worry of his father's gaze. Just then he turned and noticed Sildulin's watchful eyes on him, well it was still better than the King, he assured himself as the two made their way to Lord Elrond's realm.

That's it for now. Tell me what you think, I promise it should get more active as time goes on, were breaking in rusty wheels here. happy holidays all!


	2. Stupid babies, girls and boys

"Well, don't drop him." Elladan remarked, as he watched Legolas awkwardly holding Estel, arms extended so the baby was far away from his body, but completely supported.

"I was planning on it." Legolas retorted annoyed. He wished he had been there the first day the twins handled the small child, probably worse then he was handling the situation. Then it dawned on him, Arwen. Of course, they had handled Arwen when she was a babe. It was only he and she that had never held a baby, and it always seemed like girls were better at it. Not knowing what do, he looked over at Lord Elrond with pleading eyes. Was he to rock to baby, or should he put it back down before he truly did drop it. Then the thing he feared the most happened: the baby began to cry.

"I didn't do it. I didn't do anything, it just started. I mean Estel, Estel just started. Make it stop, please, someone take it and make it stop!" Legolas cried on top of the child's wails making for a unpleasant combination of sounds.

"Here, let me see him." Lord Elrond replied calmly, taking the yelling child from the elf prince's hands.

"Good one Las," Elrohir teased, elbowing his friend's ribs. Legolas went to go sit down, feeling quite overwhelmed with all the baby stuff: holding the baby and the crying of the baby; he had only spent an hour with the child and already he was exhausted. He began to sympathize with his father, how in the world had he dealt with three of them? And from what he heard Kaimelar was an awful infant to deal with. But watching Lord Elrond soothe the child back to sleep, Legolas supposed he could see why people liked those little things. The father and son looked so tender in that moment. Legolas only wished his sister was down here to witness, she really liked and appreciated moments of this sort much better than he could.

"What was wrong with him?" Legolas curious as to how a child could be screaming for his life one moment, and in the next be fast asleep, cuddled up to the elf lord's chest. Babies were certainly to most curious of creatures. Had he been that strange when he was that little? Or maybe this was a human thing.

"Perhaps he grew fearful that he was floating away, considering how you held him." Elrohir teased, doing an impression of Legolas holding the baby, as though it had the plague, arms completely extended.

"It was making...I mean, Estel was making sounds, what did you expect me to do?" Legolas defended. It was true, the little thing was making these gurgling sounds, as though it had something festering deep inside it. Perhaps the baby was evil.

"Babies make noises, Legolas." Elrond replied, rocking Estel gently in his arms. Legolas began to squirm in his chair, disliking the look that Lord Elrond was giving him. He glanced to the twins, on either side of them. Both were smiling evilly, getting the gist of what Elrond was thinking, Legolas began to feel sick.

"You know Legolas. With your sister delivering soon, it might be a good idea for you to learn the basics of infant care. So, how about tonight, you watch Estel." Lord Elrond suggested. It was if someone had punched him in the gut. Was Lord Elrond seriously? Did he really think that Legolas was capable of watching a little human baby for a whole night and not accidentally loose it or worse, kill it? He could barely take care of himself, how was he supposed to watch a baby, especially since he had never even been around one.

"I don't know. I'm really tired and..." Legolas began, slowly getting up and faking a yawn, even though it was only late afternoon.

"Oh come on Las. It isn't so hard, Estel sleeps most of the time anyway." Elladan said, placing a hand on Legolas' shoulders and pushing him back in his chair.

"And to help you out my boys will remain here and help you." Elrond offered. Both of his children turned, looking incredulous. The last thing they wanted was to spend the night in changing diapers and feeding and rocking and all that other bothersome childcare junk.

"Make Arwen do it, she actually likes Estel!" Elrohir exclaimed, earning a punch in the arm from his brother.

"What Ro means is, perhaps Arwen would prefer this responsibility, wait, no, honor. Better yet, Arwen deserves this honorable responsibility a great deal more than we ever could possibly.' Elladan said, earning no hint of sympathy from his father. The matter was decided, Elrohir thought glumly, nothing to do now except clue Legolas into the basics before he screwed something up tonight. He looked down at the younger elf, who weakly smiled up at him. Elrohir sighed to himself, what was he thinking, tonight they would actually be watching two babies.

"I felt it!" Arwen squealed, lifting her hand from Sildulin's stomach, taken aback by the sudden kick. "It's strange to think it's kicking in there. Does it hurt?"

"No, I like it actually. That way I know I have a healthy, active little one growing in there." Sildulin lovingly patted her stomach, as though through the motion she could actually stroke her baby's face. She couldn't wait to finally hold her child in her arms, have it's little eyes gaze up at her. Would the child know right away that she was it's mother? Or would it be confused as to who it was that was holding it? Sildulin thought back to her mother, trying to recall the moment she recognized her as her mother. When the word and the meaning came together. It was far too early on, she thought. It must have been that first moment. She had to feel right away that bond, that love. She only hoped her child felt the same about her; would love her as much as she was going to love her. Her, Sildulin wondered. Never before had she spoken of her baby with a gender, did this mean something? Did she perhaps know she was having a girl? Tulcah had confided in her that he would very much like a little girl. After living through the developmental years of Legolas, he had decided that a girl would be a far more enjoyable experience. At least he hoped so.

"Your father must be going crazy." Arwen commented, thinking of how her own father were to act, if perhaps one day she came to him to announce he was to be a grandfather.

"He cannot wait. Though he does tease he will be happy to finally see one of his own children go through what he had to." She smiled, "thought I cannot fathom what he speaks of. We were all perfectly behaved." She thought back to her childhood, sounds of breaking glass, her father yelling for whoever had broken it to get over to where he was, searching for Legolas when he had gone off on his own; all the laughter and smiles shared in times of woe. In her little family, she felt safe, supported, unquestionably loved and cared for.

"You really do irk me at times, you know that Sil?" Legolas burst through her guest quarters door and sprawled himself on the bed between the two occupants.

"What happened little one?" She asked, stroking his hair, waiting him to lift his face from the bed. He flipped himself onto his back, looking absolutely miserable.

"I have to watch that dirty little beast downstairs for a whole night." Legolas whined. Disliking the child a little more with every passing moment. "Look here, what he did to me!" He cried, pointing to peculiar looking stain on his left shoulder. Sildulin instantly grasping what had happened.

"Babies do that sometimes Las, you can't get angry at him." Sildulin replied, attempting to pacify him with rationality.

"I can't? You would be angry with me if I puked all over you." He said indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest, looking more a toddler than he did in his toddler years.

"That's because you are a grown-up and he is a baby. Though it is hard to tell the difference at this point." She replied, causing Arwen to snicker.

"Eh, you don't understand, you're girls." That comment earned him a smack on the arm from Arwen, which stung. Legolas sat up, giving her a shocked, pained look while rubbing his reddening arm. "What was that for?"

"It has nothing to do with being girls! We're simply more mature than you. I suppose residue infancy is a boy thing." Legolas rolled his eyes, obviously this room wasn't where sympathy was to be had. Legolas got up off the bed and started heading out the room without a word.

"Where are you off to Las? I haven't hurt your feelings have I?' Arwen jested. She was becoming more and more like her brother's everyday Legolas decided.

"No, my feelings are fine. It is my arm that worries me. I'm off to go find Lord Elrond and see if he can give me anything for the pain." Legolas joked. Arwen smirked back at him, throwing a pillow at his head.

"Stupid boy!" she called out, earning laughter from both Thranduil's children.

So end of another chapter, next chapter begins the night of Legolas' and the twin's night with baby Estel. Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are appreciated.


	3. comings and goings

I didn't disclaim the last chapter, but let this one serve both.

"By Valar, I don't think it will ever end!" Legolas wailed, covering his ears with his hands to no avail. The glass shattering screams of the babe could still be heard. What had Legolas ever done in his life to deserve such cruelty? Estel had been crying for, well for as long as Legolas could remember at this point. Didn't Elladan assure him all the boy did was sleep? Unfortunately for him, it seemed as though whenever Estel was near him he'd start shrieking. Legolas hoped that the child would quickly grow out of that or else, he would simply have to stop coming to Rivendell.

"What did you do to him?" Elrohir asked, watching his brother as he took his shift trying to calm his new younger brother. The situation certainly would have been funnier from another's perspective, Elrohir thought. But from the front line of this battle, it was absolute torture.

"Nothing!" Legolas replied, growing absolutely frustrated with the little baby. Why did Elrond take this child if he was such trouble? Now with the twins, he deducted, he had to keep because they were his own and no one else would have them, but this baby. Not only wasn't this child his, but it wasn't even an elfling child. Which made Legolas wonder as to why the elf lord would even take on this burden.

"I've held him for long enough, it's your turn." Elladan remarked, handing over the baby to Legolas, who took it reluctantly.

"I just had him." Legolas argued, feeling as though he only had a second repose since he handled the wailing child.

"Nearly an hour ago. Besides this is all you fault, thus you should hold the brunt of the labor." Elladan retorted, massaging out his arms as they had tensed quite a bit from all that holding. For such a small thing, it certainly did weigh a lot.

"My fault? How in the world is this my fault!" Legolas was getting sick and tired of constantly being blamed for things he had no hand in. There was no possible way he could be blamed for this. If anything Estel's mother was at fault for bearing such a loud thing. Sildulin's baby better be a lot quieter Legolas thought, he could hardly deal with this back in Mirkwood.

"If you pretended to enjoy Estel in even the slightest bit, ada never would have forced you to watch him." Elladan started.

"And wrangled us in to keep an eye on you." Elrohir finished.

"I hardly need you to keep an eye on me! You can't handle him any better than me!" Legolas exclaimed. How his parents stayed together, till circumstances outside their realm of control tore them apart, Legolas could not fathom. Just look at him and the twins currently. He had never been closer to tearing their throats out, all because of the stress Estel was causing. If only he would be quiet, just for a moment. Legolas had almost forgotten what silence sounded like. After this ordeal, he knew he would appreciate it all the more.

"Well, if that's true, I guess we can go then." Elladan said. Both he and his brother sped through the door before Legolas could mutter a word, leaving him dumb struck.

"You're coming back, right?" he called, when he received no answer he knew that they had truly deserted him. Legolas looked at Estel, who upon the stare ceased to cry and looked back up at Legolas. "Now you stop? Rid me of company and then you stop. I tell you Estel, you have it in for me." Estel smiled up, Legolas had to admit when the kid wasn't crying he was kind of cute. Enjoying the quiet, Legolas sat down with the child in his arms and watched him as his eyes slowly shut and his breathing slowed, falling into a deep sleep. "Who knew it was this easy." Legolas remarked to the still bundle in his arms. Carefully getting up, Legolas headed toward the crib on the far side of the room, laying Estel then tucking him in.

It didn't take too long before Legolas grew restless, remaining alone in the silent room. Glancing down at the sleeping child and then at the open door the twins had just escaped from minutes ago, Legolas decided now that the child was asleep it was fine to leave. He opened a window on the opposite wall from the crib, just to keep the room cool for the baby.

"You should be fine Estel. If you cry loud enough, I'm certain if I don't hear you someone else will. Well, night." Legolas said as he departed from the room. Parents had to leave their babies alone sometimes, right? Otherwise, they would never sleep, or have a life.

"Are you sure it was safe for her to leave, sire?" Tulcahrve asked the King from across the table where he sat. The King looked up from over the pile of papers he had been slaving over.

"Perhaps you should ask me a few more times and then my answer will change." The King answered, growing utterly exasperated with his young son-in-law. Though he himself was concerned for his daughter's welfare, as he always thought of all his children's well being, he knew she could take care of herself. It never ceased to amaze him how old his children had grown to be, how mature: capable of caring for themselves, making their own decisions. He thought when this age came it would relieve him of some stress, it only caused more it seemed, feeling less capable of protected them over his somewhat overbearing wings. But he knew Sildulin would never take an action to put her unborn in harm's way and so trusted in her that she would get back safely.

"But did you see how big she was when she left. She was really pregnant. Being that pregnant and on a horse and just, all that travel and the such, that can't be good. The more I think about it, the more I think our poor baby might get some sort of head injury from bouncing around in there." Thranduil couldn't help but laugh, being reminded of himself when his wife was pregnant with Kaimelar. It always seemed as though the woman were calmer. The men running around, not sure what to do, hovering over his wife's every move; while she just seemed to know. Thankfully for their family his Queen always knew that all their children were healthy.

"You're child is fine. Trust my daughter, she knows how to care for herself and the little one she carries. She would never do anything to harm it." Tulcahrve nodded, knowing that the King's advice seemed logical enough, but he could not calm his nerves. In a another four months, they were going to have a little baby. He was going to be a daddy. Who would have thought that was possible? He certainly never foresaw it, thought he would always be a young, carefree elf. It made him rethink his duty to his kingdom. If he was die in some battle, what would that mean to his family. Perhaps this was something he should discuss with the King. But first he would talk it over with Sil, that was something you did in marriage, he discovered, you talk things over with your partner before you do them. If you don't, they occasionally get angry with you, that surprised him much more than it should have.

"Sire!" Tapuc stumbled into the doorway, and before continuing looked back to see what it was that had tripped him up. The pause was enough to make Tulcah burst into laughter, thinking the King's aide was one of the funniest creatures to ever grace Middle Earth, grace being a word of irony in this case.

"Careful there, Puc." Tulcah called out. He heard the elf mutter softly to the ground, 'it's Tapuc,' too self conscious to voice his complaints any louder. But Tulcah took pity on him. "What's going on Tapuc?"

"Oh, Prince Kaimelar, he just wanted me to tell you, not that he means to insult you in any way. It's just that he thought, well, he thought that maybe you would like to go. And so he took it upon himself to. uh, he got the horses all ready and set to go." Tapuc finished, clearing his throat. The filtering of Kailmelar's words through Tapuc's mouth, was an utter amazement to hear.

"What exactly are you speaking of?" Thranduil asked.

"Oh, well the horses, to go to Rivendell to see the Princess. They are ready." Tapuc took that as his exit line, gave a quick bow and zipped off to another part of the castle, free from other elves.

"The horses, of course," Thranduil said smiling. He noticed that Tulcah had already rose and began to get his things together.

"With your sire's permission, I would very much like to take Kai's offer up. I've been itching to see her, make sure she's okay. I'm certain you understand, right?" Tulcah gave a sheepish grin, as he paused amidst the flurry of activity to glance at the King.

"Of course, go. I'd hardly feel right keeping you here. Give my son my regards." He shook his head as Tulcah dashed from the room without so much as a look back or a good bye. Thranduil looked up to the ceiling. "At least now I have some peace and quiet to get some work done." he sighed. If only Sildulin's future held that promise. He could only imagine the chaos that would now infiltrate her peaceful retreat to Rivendell. Such is the curse of an expecting mother to be hounded by the protective eye of her adoring husband.

Another chapter done, it should get a little more fun in the next coming chapters. Please review, it would be helpful. Thanks all


	4. Uncomfortable situations

From high above the pair of eyes gazed down menacingly on the dark haired elves. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike and maintain the upper hand with surprise. But no sooner had the spying figure believed he had won himself a victory, than did one of the twins look up with a face of anger and shock.

"Legolas!" Elladan shouted, nearly causing Legolas to tumble from his branch onto the ground. He regained his balance quickly and swung down beside the elder of the twins. It wasn't till he was close to the two of them that he noticed neither looked all to pleased with him. What had he done to them, he wondered. He hadn't left them alone with a screaming child. If anyone should have been angry at that moment it was him for their abandonment.

"Are you completely out of your senses?" Elrohir turned to Elladan and spoke as though Legolas were not there, or at the very least as though he were some baby incapable of understanding what they were saying. "Adar is going to kill us if he finds out what this dim wit has done."

"Who are you calling a dim wit?" Legolas exclaimed, but was utterly ignored.

"Could you try to forget about yourself for a moment Ro? Think about Estel, he is home alone!" Elladan replied, beginning to turn and head back to their home. Just praying that Estel would be okay. Of course he would be okay, he assured himself, if he was in his crib what trouble could a little one get into? Especially since not too much time had passed while he was completely unattended to. Well, if he cried loud enough, certainly someone would hear him. And what could he possibly need now, that he couldn't wait another five minutes for?

"Alone? I thought Lord Elrond and the girls were there!" Legolas defended, a bad feeling started the build inside him. If things could go wrong and he was involved, they most certainly would. Yet another thing that he would get punished for. There was not one doubt in his mind that his father would hear about this, if not from Sildulin then from Lord Elrond. Then he thought on Elladan's words. This certainly was no time to think of himself, his concern should be towards the welfare of the baby he just left alone. But then again, in hoping the baby was okay was really also a hope that he would not get into trouble. It was really a win all, loose all situation, depending.

"No, you twit!" Elrohir smacked him on the back of the head. "If you had listened during dinner, you would have discovered, they were off visiting an old friend of my adar's, or something like that, I can't say I was listening all that intently either."

"Now that we have all that squared away, let's pick up the pace. The sooner we get home, the sooner we can feel that wonderful sense of relief that everything is okay."

They all agreed and began to run back to where they had just left. Only Legolas couldn't help wonder if it would be relief he would feel or just the regular old pang of guilt and worry when he realized everything was actually all wrong.

"I really don't think she should be quite so large, do you?" Tulcahrve muttered, shaking his head as the image of his wife's pregnant belly popped into his head. He was proud of the fact they would soon be parents, but he couldn't help but think it odd that the baby was growing inside her. Was it natural for her stomach to be able to get so large? And how was that big bundle of joy supposed to get out he wondered. The idea of it was much too painful for him to dwell on it too long.

"I thought you already spoke to some of the elves in the Healing Wing about your worries already. And what did they tell you?" Tulcah couldn't stand the patronizing tone of his friend. Prince or not sometimes Kaimelar deserved a good pummeling to bring back down to a regular level. But then again, it was part of his friend's charm...if he had any, Tulcah thought to himself with a laugh.

He brought his attention back to the expecting face of Kaimelar, who patiently awaited Tulcah to recite what the elves had told him. He sighed, "They said that she was perfectly healthy and it was quite normal for her to be that large and that she would only continue to grow as the child developed." Tulcah put his hand on his own stomach. "But it must be uncomfortable. Sil assures me she's never felt happier than she does now with the little one inside her, but I think she's just lying." Kaimelar couldn't help but laugh at his friend's plight. Tulcah had never been an elf to worry like this. It was always him that would fret about everything and be teased about his behavior, his inability to get out a coherent statement while his nerves were riled. But here he was, calmly sitting on his horse, calmly thinking of words to aide his friend's troubles. It was a wonderful position to be in, one he would like to find himself in more often.

"Sil has never been one to lie. In face, of the three of us, ada has always praised her on being the good one. Besides, she really does seem happy about her predicament. I always see her rubbing her belly and talking to it, that must be a good sign. If she hated being pregnant, perhaps she would hit her stomach and scream at it, but she doesn't,"

"That's true. That is very true, I never even thought about it. Do you think it would be good for me to pat the belly and talk to it? Do you think the baby can hear that? I should go and talk to the healers again." Tulcah made a note about that in his head. As soon as he saw Sildulin, he was going to pat the belly. Best not take his chances. If the baby could hear elves talking to it, he needed to make sure that it knew it had a father. All it constantly heard was females, all day long, that child needed to have the masculine influence of its dad, girl or boy. Otherwise, when it was born, what would it think when it saw him. It would have no clue who in the Valar he was. He didn't want that. He was the father!

"I think a baby can hear everything. I mean, what's separating it really from noise? Sildulin's stomach? No way that could stop sound. Now if the baby were locked away in stone before it was born, then I would say it couldn't hear anything. " Kaimelar finished, proud with his logic.

"You certainly know a lot about this baby business. I lucky to have you hear to discuss things with." That was the truth, Tulcah felt a great burden lifted off his shoulders. Except now he had to decide what to tell the baby. He assumed that Sildulin would be able to hear everything he said. That was unfair, she had all the privacy with the baby while everything he was to say had to be censored due to his wife's eavesdropping. How unfair it was to be the male in such a circumstance. "You know Kai, you knowing so much about little babies and all, when are you and Hely going to have one of your own?"

Kaimelar felt his throat constrict. One of his own? He hadn't thought of that, they hadn't discussed that. No, they had discussed it, she had talked and he had tuned everything out. It was fine for his friend to become a father, but now was not quite the time for him to even consider such a rash action. There was not a doubt in his mind he would accidentally loose or maim or kill that child. Not a single doubt.

"I told you, I told you! What were you all thinking leaving me alone with a baby?" Legolas spoke as he paced nervously around the room. Never before had he felt such anxiety over anything. Just one missing child and apparently your whole world could fall apart. He could hardly decipher where such a feeling stemmed from. It wasn't as though he knew Estel, he only held him for a little bit. And it wasn't as though Lord Elrond and the rest had that much time with him, they couldn't be too attached, could they? If Estel was gone, couldn't they just go out and find another? But for all the rational thinking going on in his head, Legolas' gut was still tied in an abnormally large knot.

"What were you thinking leaving a baby alone?" Elladan burst out.

"What were we thinking of leaving a baby alone?" Elrohir corrected, not meaning to insult Legolas, but simply stating what was going on in his head. What they did was wrong, they should have known better than to leave. What experience had their young friend with a baby? None. Most of the times it still seemed he was a child.

Elladan looked at Elrohir and took a calming breath. "Okay, let's not blame anyone here. We need to work together to find Estel before something happens to him. Well, I suppose the fact that he isn't here is something happening to him. But let's see if we can't prevent something really bad." The more Elladan spoke, the worse Legolas felt. The idea that the little baby might already be, he didn't want to think about it. But he might be the cause of something really awful happening to Estel. The child was helpless, and he was supposed to be the one to look out for him and he didn't. He didn't do one simple thing.

They all froze as they heard approaching footsteps. This could not be good. All three looked to each other, hoping that the other had some type of plan to gain themselves more time.

"Jump out the window Las," Elladan directed, Legolas's face dropping as he had no idea what the twin was speaking about. "If you're not here we can just say Estel is with you, as though you took him out for a walk."

Legolas nodded, heading toward the window that he had left open, another pang of guilt struck him. Thankfully though, there was no sight of a fallen baby on the ground. That was a good sign, wasn't it? Before Legolas left the room, he turned back to the twins. "Wouldn't it be better just to tell Lord Elrond what happened? Then he could help us find him."

"No, if adar finds out he will go out of his mind with worry. We'll be able to find him and when we bring him back no one will know different because he'll be fine. That's all. Now go!" Elrohir answered for his brother. Something of what Legolas said sounded right, but he could only think of all the worry they caused their father now, and they weren't babies, they could take care of themselves. He wouldn't dare put his father through all that stress simply because they messed up. There wasn't a doubt in his mind they would find Estel and all would be fine. Well, there was a small doubt, but he was ignoring it. Legolas nodded, and jumped from the window, making it safely to the ground.

"Good evening," Lord Elrond spoke as he strode into the room, Sildulin and Arwen right behind.

"Where is little Estel?" Arwen asked. Enjoying the time she got to spend with her new baby brother. Should wouldn't have much with him, since she was to return to her grandmother shortly.

"With Las, thought he might enjoy some fresh air." Elladan replied as casually as possible. But his father was ever perceptive of all his children, and could tell something was amiss.

"What is it you two have planned?' Lord Elrond asked. Elrohir let out a breath. No suspicion about Estel yet, his father merely assumed they had planned some prank or the such for the rest.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all." Elrond looked from son to son. Trying to figure out what was really going on, but couldn't quite read their faces. He just smiled. The smile made the twins feel greatly uneasy.

"Well, tell my baby brother when he comes back in, that I would like to see." Sildulin said, her hand on her stomach. "I think I am going to lay down for a bit, the little on seems to be upset with all activities of late."

"I'll join you. I want to hear more about what Tulcah did when you told him." Arwen grabbed her friend's hand and the two left the room. Leaving the twins awkwardly with their father.

"So, did Estel behave?" Elrond asked.

"No." Elladan answered. He thought if he answered yes, his father would surely know something was up, for Estel never behaved.

"Too much spirit to be docile," Elrond replied, mostly too himself. It puzzled the boys as to why he looked so pleased when he said this. Whenever they misbehaved as children they were punished and they were certain their father could not have been all that pleased spending late nights with them as they screamed their heads off. Why did it seem Estel was getting this special treatment? Was it because he was a human? Was this a good thing for human babies to do?

"Well it seems we've been a good influence on him, doesn't it?" Elrohir joked. The two began to edge their way out of the room. But their father was too quick for them.

"Come sit down, talk with me for a bit. We can wait together for Legolas to return." Elrond said, that look of mischief once again in his eyes, making the brothers tense, but to keep a sense of normalcy they both sat, praying Legolas would know enough to search without them.

Another chapter finished. Thanks for the reviews and please keep them coming. Happy New Year

Grumpy: I almost thought it was teasing on the part of Estel that he stopped crying for Legolas when it was just the two of them, or maybe the beginning of some sense of friendship. Yeah, the window, probably not the best idea Legolas' has come up with.

Nessa Ar-Feiniel: I think the idea of teenage boys (even in the form of thousand year old elves) is always an interesting topic. It all stemmed from seeing my little brother holding one of our baby cousins. it was quite a sight.

Sielge: I don't suppose elrond will be all that pleased when he finds out what the boys have let happen to Estel. It will be interesting to see how Tulcah handles a baby, especially Sildulin viewing her husband with a small child, seeing as how soon their own will be present.

Daw the minstrel: I think it's hard being the youngest though, cause you are a wonderful target for a scapegoat, but I have no doubt in my mind that Legolas has gotten away with a great deal, though the baby incident may be the worse of what he's done thus far.

Astievia: I hope this is soon enough, sometimes I feel so awful cause I never seem to be able to find time in the day to do this and it's such a fun thing to do, especially when others enjoy it.


	5. When Children are left alone

Where could this child possible be? Legolas scanned the ground beneath and around the window and saw no trace of the child any where. He had yet to decide whether or not this was a good sign. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the lack of a squashed baby on the ground was good. At least he knew the little guy didn't fling himself out the open window, open because he stupidly decided that it made sense. He rested for a moment, thinking where Estel could have gone off to, what could have happened to him. It's not like babies just, poof, disappeared.

"Oh, no." Legolas muttered to himself. Maybe because Estel was a human child, the Rivendell elves took offense to him and some plotted to rid the kingdom of this problem. Right now a group of renegade elves could be drowning the babe in the river or something, all because he was a bad child sitter. He just killed a baby, on accident. This was awful. He suddenly began to get a sense of what humans feel like when they get sick, as his stomach gave a lurching roll.

He pushed that all out of his mind. Keep hope, he thought, he couldn't give up now. That was the worse case scenario, but what could be the best. Maybe one of the girls took him, that could have happened. Or maybe he was crying and one of the servants heard him and took him for a feeding or something like that. If that was the case, all that would happen was he might get punished. He laughed to himself, since when was that a best case scenario? Perhaps he was growing up: putting the welfare of others before himself. Well, he had to put Estel's before himself, he was a baby, a baby that needed him to find him.

"This seems to be quite the walk Legolas has taken your brother on." Elrond observed, scrutinizing both his boys squirming in their seats. "Do you two have plans?"

"What? Why? Why would we have plans? No plans!" Elrohir spurted out, much to his brother's chagrin.

"No plans ada." Elladan replied attempting to cover up his brother's nervousness.

"Well you seem jumpy, itching to get out." Elladan took note of that and attempted to calm his physical demeanor. The sooner they proved to their father nothing was up, the sooner they could join the search for their little brother. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his lost brother. Maybe Legolas had already found him and was bringing him back right now. Yes, that was right, everything was completely okay now. With that sense of optimism he settled into his chair and readily looked his father in the eye. But once he did that, his guilt overwhelmed him once more. Whether or not they found was Estel was only part of issue. They were lying to their father. They had messed up worse than they ever had before, they put their baby brother in danger. That was unforgivable in his mind. He just couldn't take it anymore.

"Ada, Legolas is not taking Estel out on a walk." Elrohir's eyes nearly popped from their sockets. The least his brother could have done was some how warned him that he was going to do this. Now he felt unprepared and all his anxiety spilled out into his own confession.

"We left Legolas alone with Estel and then he went to find us and left Estel all alone and then we came back here and Estel was gone. And we were going to go looking for him with Legolas but then you came in here and then we didn't know. We are so sorry adar! We're going to find him and he is going to be fine. Promise, we promise and we are sorry. I can't tell you how sorry we are." He stopped short as his father raised his hand, a scornful smile on his face.

"I know that you left your baby brother alone. He started screaming and one of our attendants came and found me when they found him, alone, I might repeat. " Elrond stated. The twins' faces fell. And though they felt a great burden lifted, they felt a certain doom spread over them. Now came time for a punishment to beat all punishments.

"You have him then? He's okay?" Elladan asked.

"He's sleeping. Arwen and Sildulin are watching him right now. I'm certain they are still there with them, since they are responsible. I can trust them, which is more than I can say for the two, no let me correct then, three of you." Their father's previously light behavior as he tortured them melted away into a serious, deathly serious air. His words stung the twins more than any action could.

"We're sorry adar," Elrohir said again, his eyes glued to the ground.

"I'm certain you are, but that doesn't change what you have done." Elrond took a breath, the look of his boys said more than any of their words. At least he knew that they had behaved wrongly, if wrongly was even a strong enough word. "Go find Legolas and bring him back here. We'll discuss this tomorrow and come up with a suitable punishment for your actions."

There was a pause, the twins not sure what to do. Elladan got up, Elrohir followed his brother as they both defeatedly left the room.

"Ada?"

"Yes?" Elrond asked, surprised to find Elladan standing in the doorway still.

"Are we still allowed to see Estel?" His voice was pitiable.

Elrond gave a gracious smile. "Of course, but it will take some time till I trust you alone with him."

Elladan nodded and then exited to find Legolas whom he had no doubt direly needed to be relieved of his worry for Estel.

"Do you think she'll be happy to see me? Or do you think she'll be resentful for the fact I didn't trust her?" Kaimelar squeezed the bridge of his nose, noting that he would need to find a new best friend when he got back to Mirkwood. How could marriage and pregnancy so change a person? Tulcah was always so carefree and wonderfully frivolous. Ever since he had taken Sildulin as a wife, it seemed as though she had tamed him. It was always about her now. Not that Kaimelar didn't adore his wife, but he doubted he was so obsessive about her. Or was he? Would he be if they had a child? He didn't want to think about it, it made him nervous. Brought up too many questions.

"Of course she'll be happy to see you. You're married right? That means you love each other and that you're happy when you see each other, therefore she couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised that you came to see her. Traveled so far just to be in her presence."

"Even if it is just to check up on her?" Tulcah poked the now dying fire.

"You don't tell her that. You tell her you missed her so much you had to come to see her." Tulcah's face lit up. That sounded really good. Who would have thought that Kai knew about woman? It was as though they were living in some parallel universe where Tulcah was the nervous wreck and Kaimelar was the one who was calm, cool and collected.

"That sounds really good. She'll love that, she'll think that's really sweet. And I do miss her." Tulcah leaned in, "I've never told any one this, but sometimes we'll be lying in bed and I just keep my hand on her stomach and I can feel the baby. Do you know they can move inside of them. It's the most intense thing. I just love it. I can loose hours touching her baby tummy."

Kai frowned, this could not possible be the elf who had fought at his side on numerous occasions. How could an elf so intense on the battle field, turn into this? He morphed into a big softy. Wouldn't trust him on the battle field anymore, probably wouldn't kill an orc. Would think it was too cute to hurt. Oh, what a cruel world it was.

"I am getting really tired, I think I'm going to go to sleep." Kai said, faking a yawn.

"Sorry, too much information. It's just, well, it's amazing." Seeing the look on the prince's face, he quickly stopped. "Alright, I get it, no more. I'm done. What's happening to me Kai? I think I used to be normal and now to hear me talk, I can barely believe I'm saying the words."

"Well, thank Valar for that. For a moment there I thought I had lost you forever."

"Do you hear that?" Thranduil asked. Verya lifted his head, straining his ears to hear anything, but there was nothing. He looked back confused. "It's silence. No yelling, no running about. Nothing. For the first time ever, these halls are empty of children." No sooner had he said the words than they rang dully in his mind. As much as he cherished silence, his home was no home when it was this empty.

"They'll be back soon enough, and then you can regain those terrible stress head aches you're so prone to getting." Verya replied, knowing what his good friend was thinking without need anything vocalized. He himself was feeling the vastness of the palace when it was so empty of the ruckus that Thranduil's children created.

"They certainly grew up fast, didn't they?" He thought back to the moment when he first held Kaimelar, never feeling such a fright. Spending hours of worry on all the ways things could go wrong, the chance he could drop him. But for all the bumps and scrapes, all the problems along the way, things turned out all right. They all survived, well almost all of them. She had left him with enough knowledge that he was able to raise their youngest. She left them all with enough to keep them going without her.

"Aye, but they are still like children all the same." They both laughed at some of the antics that had taken place just weeks before. Yes, children they would always be.

Legolas looked around, for the first time realizing that perhaps he was now lost. The irony was too strong to miss. How could someone lost find someone else that was lost? And then, if he did find Estel, they would just be lost together. Where were the twins? Was this just some joke they were playing on him? He looked around once more, feeling extremely small and extremely helpless.

So, there it is. I suppose it ended abruptly, but I didn't know what else to write so I just stopped. But I hope you liked it all the same. I'll try to post soon, please review!

espergirl04: Oh gosh, I am so glad you like, I really appriciate your kind words, it made me smile. I liked making Legolas a little bit clueless, it's part of his charm. Hope you continue to enjoy the story. Thanks so much for your reviews!

grumpy: Of course they lost the baby! What else would the twins and Legolas do, it'll be a great story to tell Estel one day when he's all grown up. I hope this chapter was enjoyable and that you continue to keep reading.

daw the minstrel: I think it would be great if Elrond got them a puppy to train them on how to be responsible, but I would feel bad for the puppy. I think they all kind of wised up a little, we'll see if it carries over into their behavior. Especially since babies seem so much harder to care for then those cute fourlegged fur balls. Thanks for the review!


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